Cash Or Card?

[JJReyes]

17 minutes ago, AwesomeLife said:

Good info!  As we've seen many times before, many have claimed they were ripped off at bars and restaurants where they'd either overcharge or add drinks/items you didn't order.  Anyone want to share some tips or strategies for preventing that?

Request for a receipt and sign it just like you did the merchant's copy. Keep the receipts until you receive your credit card statement or check charges through your on line account. I have been asked several times in the Philippines if I wanted a copy and I always say, "Yes." (Trying to save on paper?) Easier to dispute with the card company if you have proof. While at it, check your statement for suspicious items. Sometimes it is small items like a $4.50 charge for downloaded software. 

The companies usually side with the cardholder. The merchants have to prove the transaction was legitimate. If it was fraudulent, the card company absorbs the loss. In the United States, the law limits your liability to $50 in the event someone stole your credit card information. If your credit card was issued in the Philippines, I don't know if there is a similar limitation.  By the way, the liability limitation does not apply to debit cards.

[robert k]

2 hours ago, AwesomeLife said:

Good info!  As we've seen many times before, many have claimed they were ripped off at bars and restaurants where they'd either overcharge or add drinks/items you didn't order.  Anyone want to share some tips or strategies for preventing that?

Don't use your card? Cash is King. Don't run a tab.

[AwesomeLife]

1 hour ago, robert k said:

Don't use your card? Cash is King. Don't run a tab.

I was afraid of that (lol).  Does anyone think subtle proactive communication would work?  For example, every time you order drinks when out at dinner, "I'll have my third XXX peso XXX beer and she'll have her second XXX peso glass of XXX wine"?  

Edited June 10, 2018 by AwesomeLife

[robert k]

1 hour ago, AwesomeLife said:

I was afraid of that (lol).  Does anyone think subtle proactive communication would work?  For example, every time you order drinks when out at dinner, "I'll have my third XXX peso XXX beer and she'll have her second XXX peso glass of XXX wine"?  

Nope. It even happens to regulars. If there is a mistake, you are expected to pay because the wait staff would have to eat it otherwise and knowing what they make, you will be the bad guy, even though you are right. Don't allow it to happen to begin with, or just pay up when it does happen. People have even insisted that beer bottles stay on the table as proof of what was had, still happens.

[Dave Hounddriver]

6 hours ago, AwesomeLife said:

Does anyone think subtle proactive communication would work?

If the waiter had not thought of cheating you before, you just put the idea in her head.  The culture here does not think of scamming (in small amounts) as a crime.  IMHO it's almost like the victim was dumb and the scammer was smart to get a little extra cash.  There is a limit, where it becomes a "real" crime, but putting a few extra drinks on your credit card tab does not come close to that limit.

As Robert said.  Cash is king.  And wear your glasses!  In the dark, the 100s and 1000s look amazingly similar.  More so after a couple of drinks.

[JJReyes]

37 minutes ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

In the dark, the 100s and 1000s look amazingly similar.  More so after a couple of drinks.

The American Foundation for the Blind offers a guide on how to fold money so you can tell the denomination without seeing it. Very useful in the dark or after a few drinks. Personally, I bundle the P500 and P1000 bills and a couple of credit cards using a rubber band and place it in one of my front pants pockets. The smaller denominations are in my wallet along with fake ids and fake credit cards. This is placed in my back pocket. Fake refers to expired, so they are useless to thieves. Most security guards wanting an identity to enter a building or village will accept an expired driver's license because they never check the date.

 

[Clermont]

3 hours ago, JJReyes said:

The American Foundation for the Blind offers a guide on how to fold money so you can tell the denomination without seeing it. Very useful in the dark or after a few drinks. Personally, I bundle the P500 and P1000 bills and a couple of credit cards using a rubber band and place it in one of my front pants pockets. The smaller denominations are in my wallet along with fake ids and fake credit cards. This is placed in my back pocket. Fake refers to expired, so they are useless to thieves. Most security guards wanting an identity to enter a building or village will accept an expired driver's license because they never check the date.

Just about to jump on you with that fake credit card bit, thanks for clarifying it. That is about the safest way to carry money or cards plus I always put a 1000 peso in the bottom of my sock, you never know when you run into a smart crook. 

[intrepid]

Just a current note on my Capital One credit card I used this morning to purchase several sheets of plywood and some other items at Wilcon.  The total price was P7580 .   My card charged me $143.20 .  That's an exchange rate of 52.93 and that is what XE showed at the time.No reason to go to the bank or money changer.

Edited June 11, 2018 by intrepid
sp

[OnMyWay]

49 minutes ago, intrepid said:

Just a current note on my Capital One credit card I used this morning to purchase several sheets of plywood and some other items at Wilcon.  The total price was P7580 .   My card charged me $143.20 .  That's an exchange rate of 52.93 and that is what XE showed at the time.No reason to go to the bank or money changer.

That is one reason I use my CapitalOne card.  It is the only remaining completely free method to exchange money (on a purchase) at a great rate.  My check deposits now cost $5.00 each.

[Dave Hounddriver]

5 minutes ago, OnMyWay said:

completely free

Completely free to the consumer, perhaps.  But the merchant must pay approx 1 to 3% on each transaction which is a cost that must be passed on.

It is my experience that there are Filipino type stores that sell similar merchandise for less than the large stores like Wilcon.  Those stores add a charge for using credit cards and have lower prices for cash.  However, if you are going to buy in Wilcon anyway, then you may as well get the "free" service.